Here’s a delicious one-pot dish that’s perfect for your weeknight dinner. Italian Sausage and Rice is packed with flavor in every spoonful — you’ll surely ask for seconds!
I got the idea for this dish from one of my favorite rice dishes — Portuguese Tomato Rice. I tweaked it a bit, then added some Italian sausage for another layer of flavor.
The result? The Italian sausage takes center stage, blending with the tomatoes and coating the rice with it. It’s a complete delectable meal in every serving!
IF YOU WANT MORE ONE-POT MEALS, THEN YOU WOULD ENJOY THESE POSTS!
Ingredients
- Tomatoes – you don’t specifically need cherry tomatoes, as long as they’re fresh and juicy.
- Italian sausage – keep them in their casing, and slice into small rounds.
- Onion – yellow onion would be excellent for this sausage rice recipe.
- Garlic – minced or sliced thinly, whichever is easier for you.
- Celery – chop it thinly.
- Rice – I strongly suggest using basmati rice since they don’t get mushy quickly.
- Olive oil – extra virgin, if possible
- Dried parsley & oregano – feel free to use fresh ones, if you prefer.
- Salt & pepper – just use your favorite brand.
- Stock – I always use chicken stock for making one-pot sausage and rice.
Preparation
Start by heating olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is ready, start frying the sliced sausages until cooked (photo 1).
Set them aside; adjust the heat into medium, then add the garlic and onion.
Cook until the onions are softened, and add the chopped celery (photo 2).
Mix and cook for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, dried parsley, and dried oregano (photo 3).
Mix, cover, and cook for a few minutes, just until some of the juices of the tomatoes have come out.
Add the rice (photo 4).
Mix to coat the rice evenly, then add the stock (photo 5).
Cover with a lid, adjust the heat back to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice is cooked, occasionally stirring to make sure nothing sticks at the bottom of the pan. It generally takes eighteen to twenty minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then place the sausage slices randomly in the cooked rice (photo 6).
Place the lid back, turn off the heat, and leave it covered for two minutes.
Serve with fresh parsley as a garnish, if desired.
Helpful tips
- Remove some of the oil in the skillet if you think there is too much left after cooking the sausage.
- Make sure you chop all the vegetables finely. They all need to dissolve (almost) once the rice is ready.
- Do not forget to taste and adjust the seasoning while the rice is cooking, not when you’re about to add the sausage back.
Recipe variation
- Tomato sauce. If you cannot find any good tomatoes, canned chunky tomatoes are a good alternative.
- Herbs and chili. You can add your other favorite dried herbs and chili flakes if you want a bit of heat in this one-pot sausage and rice.
- Stock. Use vegetable or beef stock if that’s what you have on hand.
See how easy it is? Perfect for a weeknight dinner, right? Give it a try, and let me know in the comment section!
Happy cooking!
One-Pot Italian Sausage and Rice Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Cast iron skillet (8-inch)
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 links Italian sausage, sliced into rounds
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, chopped finely
- 1 stalk celery, chopped finely
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped roughly
- 1/2 cup rice
- 1 & 1/2 cup stock, hot/boiling
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- salt & pepper, to season
- fresh parsley, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Using a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Once it's ready, start frying the sliced sausages until cooked.
- Set them aside, then adjust the heat into medium and add the garlic and onion. Cook until the onions softened.
- Add the chopped celery; mix and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, dried parsley, and dried oregano.
- Mix, cover, and cook for a few minutes, just until some of the juices of the tomatoes have come out.
- Add the rice and mix to coat it evenly.
- Add the stock.
- Cover with a lid, adjust the heat back to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice is cooked, occasionally stirring to make sure nothing sticks at the bottom of the pan. It generally takes 18 to 20 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, then place the slices of sausage randomly in the cooked rice.
- Place the lid back, turn off the heat, and leave it covered for two minutes.
- Serve your Italian sausage with rice, garnished with fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Cook’s Tip #1: Feel free to remove some of the oil in the skillet if you think there is too much left after cooking the sausage.
- Cook’s Tip #2: Make sure you chop all the vegetables finely. They all need to dissolve (almost) once the rice is ready.
- Cook’s Tip #3: Do not forget to taste and adjust the seasoning while the rice is cooking, not when you’re about to add the sausage back.
- Variation #1: Tomato sauce. If you cannot find any good tomatoes, canned chunky tomatoes are a good alternative.
- Variation #2: Herbs and chili. You can add your other favorite dried herbs and chili flakes if you want a bit of heat in this one-pot sausage and rice.
- Variation #3: Stock. Use vegetable or beef stock if that’s what you have on hand.
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